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'Drakengard' (PS2) Ships To Stores

Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. announced that Drakengard for the PlayStation2, ships to North American retailers today. Drakengard weaves action-packed gameplay with complex character and weapon development in the setting of a mysterious kingdom.

Drakengard tells a tale of love, sacrifice, obligation and bitter compromise following the struggles of a Union soldier named Caim. He comes to find that the Empire he once knew has raised an army with unexplainable great power and has taken his sister prisoner. In the ultimate sacrifice, Caim joins souls with the dragon he despises in order to save his sister. Together they begin their quest to unravel the mystery behind the Empire's sudden rise to power. They will soon discover a connection between the Empire, Caim's sister, the mythical Seeds of Resurrection and the gods themselves.

Drakengard features three battlefields and multiple experience and growth elements based on the player's decisions, which immerse the player in an all- new gameplay experience combining fantasy, interactivity and a tragic saga.

Gameplay Features

Diverse battlefields

Aerial Combat: Players fly high above the landscape astride a powerful dragon and dispatch airborne opponents with devastating fire and thrilling special attacks.

Strafe Attack: Players can annihilate entire groups of soldiers with a blast of fire from the dragon. Strafe Attack also allows players to seek out hidden locations and rare items.

Melee Mode: Players can dismount the dragon and enter the battleground on foot attacking a myriad of enemies face to face. In addition, "melee mode" allows Caim to enter areas forbidden or inaccessible to the pact-beast.

Multiple experiences

Story: The story is conveyed through event sequences, over an hour of CG movies and through gameplay action itself. Depending on how the game is played, the player can experience different story elements and one of a variety of endings that can be uncovered.

Characters: In addition to Caim, players can "summon" other characters to control, each of whom has his or her own abilities, pact-beasts, weapons and troubled past.

Areas: Players can return to previously cleared areas and encounter new characters, changed environments and different enemies.

Growth element

Dragon Growth: As the game progresses, the dragon and its abilities will mature. Its physical appearance develops, dragonfire attacks become more powerful and ability improves.

Character Growth: Caim's battle attributes also evolve throughout the game. He is rewarded with improved combo attacks, more powerful magic and enhanced strength as his weapon's levels increases.

Weapon Growth: As the player's weapon levels up so will the visual representation of the weapon. Players can choose from a selection of over 60 weapons imbued with their own magic and history, revealing each of the weapons' lethal past.